World number one Judd Trump started the season in ominous fashion with a win at the Shanghai Masters and he should have few problems getting past Noppon Saengkham in their opening round clash at the China Open.
This event is back on the roster for the first time since 2019 and features the very best players in the world, including 14 representing the host nation.
Trump is a two-time winner of the China Open and victory in Taiyuan, where it is being held for the first time, would see him equal the record three-win tallies of Mark Selby and Mark Williams.
Judd Trump v Noppon Saengkham Tips Summary
Best Bet - Judd Trump -3.5 frames @ 10/11
Alternative Bet - Match centuries under 1.5 @ 5/4
Judd Trump v Noppon Saengkham Prediction
Best Bet: Judd Trump -3.5 frames @ 10/11
Trump's status as world number one will come under threat in the coming weeks as his 2024 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters prize money falls off the rankings.
Both Neil Robertson and Zhao Xintong could overhaul the Bristolian if they outperform him either here or at the upcoming Wuhan Open.
Trump won last week's invitational Shanghai Masters, but only now does the ranking season start.
The 2019 world champion accounted for Barry Hawkins, John Higgins, world champion Wu Yize and Kyren Wilson in Shanghai and looked good in doing so.
Saengkham has been struggling in the qualifiers this summer, losing three of his last four starts in those events, so a second career win over the Ace in the Pack seems unlikely.
Trump beat Higgins 6-0 in Shanghai before 10-6 and 11-6 wins in the semi-finals and final, so he should get the job done here with minimal worries.
Alternative Bet: Match centuries under 1.5 @ 5/4
Trump did make three centuries in the whitewash win over Higgins last week, but it's no certainty he'll be banging in the ton-plus breaks in this opening round game.
He beat Wilson with some superb steals after the Warrior broke down and Trump didn't contribute a break above 82 in the final in Shanghai.
He made only six breaks north of 50 in that final, relying on his relatively new-found ability to win with his B-Game.
There was just one century when these two players last met, in the 2025 International Championship, where Trump won 6-3 and made 119 in the final frame of the match.
A similar century count is plausible here.
Judd Trump v Noppon Saengkham H2H Record & Stats
Judd Trump Wins | 8 |
Noppon Saengkham Wins | 1 |
Key Match Stats
Trump has won eight of the previous nine meetings with Noppon Saengkham
His sole defeat was a 4-1 loss at the 2018 Welsh Open
Saengkham has lost three of his last four matches away from the Championship League
Trump won the China Open in both 2011 and 2016
The world number one made seven century breaks in winning the Shanghai Masters
Saengkham, ranked 44th in the world, has made nine ton-plus breaks this season, including qualifiers
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
